Harry Potter and the Wands of Blood
by Kiirby
Summary: Harry starts his search for the Horcruxes after the disastrous events of his sixth year but when the truth comes to light, will Harry be able to cope? New friends, new enemies and strange new powers… R&R!
1. Strangers and Familial Issues

Summary: Harry starts his search for the Horcruxes after the disastrous events of his sixth year but when the truth comes to light, will Harry be able to cope? New friends, new enemies and strange new powers…

Disclaimers: I do not own Harry Potter, nor anything to do with J.K's world of imagination. The only profit I make from these stories is the ability to enjoy playing with what is not mine. ; I could never be the genius that Rowling is.

"speech" :_'thoughts' _:_ dreams and writing_ : _"mind speech"_ :parseltounge:

**Prologue**

In a dense, dark and all-together frightening forest a great tree stood and hidden within its emerald leaves an impossible amount of life thrived. Birds, ranging from the massive albatross to the tiny hummingbird nested or perched in its branches. Squirrels and chipmunks scurried up and down the immense trunk, filling its' every nook and cranny with their little treasures. A peace one never would have believed possible resided here. If ever there was such a thing as the Tree of Life, many would consider this it.

This night though, beneath the tree's boughs, something was out of place. The figure of a rather boyish looking girl lay tangled within the long grasses. In fact, had she not been wearing a rather revealing black nightgown, which showed small mounds that were her breasts, she might have been a boy.

A curious unicorn colt cautiously walked up to her. It sniffed at her uncertainly and then began to nibble on her cropped ebony hair. The girl moaned, causing the colt to bolt around the tree. After she had made no noise for a few minutes, it peeked out. Another person had entered the solitude around the tree.

The colt trotted out to meet this visitor…they had been there many times before and was not a stranger. The aging man kneeling beside the girl looked up at it and smiled, his gray eyes shining through a mop of silver-streaked hair. He urged it to come closer. It snorted at him but came closer. The man leaned the girl on the trunk and pulled a vial from his tattered robes. The girl moaned again as he set the vial to her lips but she opened her mouth and swallowed the concoction down obediently. Seemingly at once her body went limp and she let out a large, relieved sigh. The man then pulled out a slender stick and tapped the empty vial while whispering something. He patted the colt on the head, making it snort once more. Then both the man and the odd girl were gone.

---------------------------------------------------------------

**Chapter 1: Strangers and Familial Issues **

At the same moment, Harry Potter shot up from his bed, sweating profusely. Tears were mingled in with his sweat. Ever since he arrived back at Number 4 Privet Drive, dreams of Professor Dumbledore's death had been haunting him. He slipped on his glasses and glanced at the alarm clock beside his bed. Three thirty. The Dursley's would be deeply asleep by now. Climbing out of bed he snuck down the hall into the bathroom.

Though he had only been at the Dursley's for a week's time, Harry felt that this summer could not be any worse. The only good thing, he felt, was that He had finally persuaded Ron and Hermione to leave him at the Dursley's. He had to take a wizards oath saying that he wouldn't leave Privet Drive without them, though. Everyone else was asking if he was ok, always inviting them to their houses. They didn't know, of course, that he planned never to see many of them again. A rush of anger swelled inside him and he sought to suppress it. His heightened emotions had already cost him his bedroom windows. They were too uncontrollable for him to let them out. Because of that reason, his face often held a blank mask. Much like the one Dumbledore used…

He grasped his chest as though to quell the ache that ran through his heart. Fresh tears ran down his cheeks and memories flashed in front of his eyes. He backed up and collapsed against the wall. _If only they had believed him! If only they had listened to his warnings! He told them Snape and Draco were up to no good! Now Dumbledore was dead! _Harry gasped painfully and bit his bottom lip. It wouldn't do him any good to wake up the Dursleys. He stood up, turned the faucet on with shaking hands and washed his face of tears. He sighed and left the bathroom.

Harry stopped half way down the hall. Preoccupied with his thoughts, he hadn't noticed the noise till now. Someone was sobbing. Harry scrunched his face in confusion. Who…and for that matter why, would a Dursley be crying at this time of night? He moved towards the sound. It was coming from Dudley's room. As quietly as he could, Harry twisted the handle and peeked in.

Dudley Dursley, Big-D, tormentor of his childhood, was curled up, fetal position, in the center of his bed. Covers were strewn across the floor and a pillow was leaning against a wall. Harry stepped back and rocked on his feet, uncertain what to do. Should he leave and pretend it never happened or should he go in and comfort his cousin? Eventually his conscious won over. He strode over to the bed and cautiously sat down on an edge. Dudley paid no notice.

Harry bit his lip. "Dudley?" No reaction. "Dudley." The crying boy shot up and looked at Harry, horrified. Harry quickly backed up and held his hands up, signaling he hadn't meant anything and hurriedly headed towards the door. He shook his head. _How could I have been so stupid? Dudley doesn't want me to comfort him. I'm lucky Dudley hadn't started screaming yet. _

"I'm alone." It was said in the barest of whispers, but Harry heard. He turned to look at his cousin.

"What?" Dudley looked up. His eyes glistened with despair and desperation that completely baffled Harry.

"I'm alone! Nobody cares about me! Nobody likes me!" Harry walked slowly up to the bed.

"That's not true. Uncle Vernon and Au…"

"They don't count! They're my parents, they have to love me." Harry was silent…unsure of what to say. Dudley continued, "I…I don't have any friends. And before you say my gang, they're not my friends. I know they just hang around me because I'm the biggest and the strongest. They'd leave me in a second if anyone better came along." Harry was reminded of Voldemort and how he was at this age. He held the power then. Dudley was watching Harry again. "I've always been jealous of you." Harry looked at him, shock.

"W…what?"

"That's why I teased you. You have friends that write you over the summer and give you things…I've seen the packages. I've never gotten a gift that wasn't from family." He shifted on the bed. "I've never had a girlfriend either. Not even the ones desperate for power want to go out with me. I'm too ugly." Comprehension dawned on Harry. On Harry's first night back last summer, Aunt Petunia went to take Dudley off his diet, being that she had to feed Harry more( due to the threat from the Order), she would obviously need to feed her Diddy Dumpkins more as well. Dudley said he wanted to stay on it. Well, we can certainly say that Harry wasn't the only one shocked.

The silence after Dudley's last statement continued so Harry stood up to leave. "Thank you." Startled, he turned back around.

"What?" Harry was beginning to get irritated. He had been confused too many times in one night for his liking.

"Had those dementors not come after you that time, I would have never figured it out. All the teasing my _friends_," He spat that last word, "said to _me_. I thought they were just joking. They weren't." His voice cracked and Harry winced. It was beyond wrong to see his cousin so distressed…and then confiding in _him_. Dudley had begun talking again. "If you hadn't brought those things…I would have continued to live my life blindly." He chuckled slightly. Harry never would have imaging his cousin so…mature. "Can you imagine how sorry I would've been had I not figured it out when I did?" He looked at Harry, tears were brimming. "So…thank you."

"You know Dud, it's not too late to change…"

"It is! My reputation is already set at Smeltings and Dad would never let me change schools. Me getting excepted there was the happiest moment of his life…I don't to ruin that."

"But Dudley, do you really want to live a lie? Anyways, it's your life. You make your own decisions." Harry shook his head. What was he doing giving his _cousin_ advice? Dudley didn't answer. He was staring at his feet, looking lost. Harry turned and left. _What was wrong with the world? Had he been thrown into some alternate universe where he and his cousin were civil people to each other_?

Harry woke again to the sounds of yelling and crying. He lurched out of bed, wand in hand and charged down the stairs. Dumbledore's protection failed. He should have known it would fail after his… He growled and entered the kitchen, ready to spell the first death eater he saw…but there wasn't any.

Dudley and Vernon Dursley stood face to face screaming at each other, faces red with rage.

"YOU WILL KEEP GOING TO SMELTINGS!"

"I WILL NOT! AND I WILL NOT LET YOU STAND HERE AND TELL ME WHAT I HAVE TO BE!" Uncle Vernon looked shocked and horribly confused. Petunia sat in a chair near by sobbing.

"Wha…what? I DON'T TELL YOU WHAT YOU HAVE TO BE!"

"YES YOU DO! YOU'RE THE REASON I'M A BULLY!" He shook his head fiercely. "Had you not hated Harry, I wouldn't have known to bully people." There was absolute silence. Vernon turned his head to look at said boy and pointed a fat finger at him.

"YOU! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT! WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY SON!" Harry never got a chance to answer, not that he was sure he could anyways. He was much too confused to think let alone speak.

"SEE! THIS IS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT! YOU ALWAYS BLAME HIM! I'M THE ONE YELLING AT YOU! HE HASN'T DONE ANYTHING!" Harry continued to stand in the doorway, completely shocked. One moment the conversation had been about Smeltings and now Dudley was defending him! The world must have flipped its hinges!

"ENOUGH!" Petunia stood, wiping tears from her face. Everyone turned to her.

"Petunia, dear?"

"Quiet Vernon. Now, you listen to me…all of you!" She pointed her finger at her husband and son and then at Harry. "I don't know what has gotten into you all but it _will_ stop! Vernon, if Dudley doesn't want to go to Smelting, we won't force him too." He looked at his wife with wide eyes.

"But Pe…"

"I said quiet! I understand that it's been a family tradition for the oldest son to go to Smeltings but do you really want someone with such dismal grades as your son's holding up that legacy?" Dudley winced and Harry had to feel sorry for him.

"Well…I suppose not." Uncle Vernon still didn't look quite sure of himself but he said nothing. Aunt Petunia turned to Dudley.

"And I love you dear but all this moping has to stop. It's not healthy." She pointed a bony finger at Harry again. "And that goes for you too!" Harry gave her an icy glare and left the room. _How dare she! She'd be moping too if she had witnessed a loved ones murder!_ Not that he was moping anyways.

He muttered to himself and headed back to his room. Bill and Fleur's wedding was to be taking place in two days time. He would attend but he wouldn't stay long. Afterwards he planned on going to Grimmauld place with Ron and Hermione. They already had it set up. They would sneak off as soon as everyone was in bed after the wedding with only a note to the others.

Since Dumbledore's death, the Order of Phoenix had become disorganized. They had yet to elect a new leader and until they did, the Grimmauld place was lost to them. Professor Dumbledore, being the secret keeper for the place had had Harry's permission to use it for Order meetings but now that permission was void. Harry had no intention on letting them use it again. It was to become his hide-out now. Although, that thought disgusted him.

Harry had decided against going to Godric Hollow. He still planned to visit there to see his parents' graves but he didn't want to risk the lives of his friends anymore then he had to and as far as he knew, that place had no protections. That's why he chose to go to Grimmauld place. Well…that and its library.

The first step for the trio while they were there was to look into the initials of R.A.B, found on a note in a fake Horcrux. The Black Manor had an extensive library and if need be they were prepared to use Harry's invisibility cloak to sneak into Flourish and Blotts and search through their books. Perhaps they would even sneak into Knockturn Alley. In order to continue Dumbledore's quest for Voldemort's horcruxes (objects containing parts of Voldemort's soul), they needed to know where to find them and in all honesty, R.A.B was the only clue they had. Worse yet, that would only lead to one of the four remaining horcruxes…if it wasn't already destroyed.

Harry sighed and buried his face in his pillow. There was still so much planning needed to be done. Tomorrow he'd be with Hermione and Ron…they could start planning then. And with that thought he drifted off to sleep.

_ Harry was in a large stone room watching a cowering figure wearing the black robes of a Death Eater. The white skull-like mask was attached to a cord around his waist._

"_So, Draco, You thought I would not learn of your failure?" He said. Immediately he recognized it as Voldemort's voice. _'A vision then. I hope Draco's punished severely'_. He felt Voldemort smile at the trembling boy._

"_N…no my Lord." His voice was ragged. _'So he's already been punished?'

"_Then why is that I did not hear of it as soon as you returned?" Harry mentally shook his head. He knew what was coming. "Crucio!" _

_ Draco's scream was piercing and tormented. He writhed on the ground clutching his stomach as if to hold back the pain. Harry tried to turn his head, disgusted and feeling guilty. No one deserved this torture. But of course, he couldn't look away._

_ So Harry watched him and for the first time, Harry actually looked at him. His hair was dirty and disheveled. His normally clean robes were splattered with mud and what looked suspiciously like blood. Harry also noticed, with not a little shock, that the robes were the same ones he had been wearing the night of...the betrayal. What had this boy been through? Harry remembered Draco's reluctance when the opportunity to kill Dumbledore had shown it's self. He remembered Dumbledore's words, "Come over to the right side, Draco...you are not a killer…." Then he remembered what Draco had said right after he had cornered them, "I've got to do it! He'll kill me! He'll kill my whole family!" Could Draco be turned back to the right path? Had he ever been on the wrong one in the first place?_

_ Harry's thoughts were interrupted when his scar began to sear painfully as Voldemort grinned with sadistic pleasure. Harry screamed and grabbed at it but it continued to burn. Voldemort lifted his wand and both Draco and Harry stopped screaming, though both were panting heavily. Harry's scar became the dull throb it had been from the beginning. _

"_Draco, you disappoint me. Your father assured me of your loyalty yet you cannot follow the simple order of 'kill Dumbledore'?" A mocking sneer was evident in the Dark Lord's voice. Draco stayed on his knees panting and dry heaving. "Perhaps I should kill him?"_

_ That instantly got Draco's attention. "N…no! Please, my Lord! I will do whatever my Lord wishes!" The blonde haired boy crawled to the edge of the throne and kissed the hem of Voldemort's robes. He looked on with disgust. _

"_Insolent child! You are not worthy enough to touch me!" He turned to a figure on his right that Harry hadn't noticed before. "Wormtail, summon Lucius."_

_ The figure bowed low. "Y…yes m…my Lord." He scurried off. In the moments it took for Wormtail to return with Lucius, Harry watched as Draco sobbed at the Dark Lord's feet. He had curled up once more although he was still on his knees. Nagini, Voldemort's large pet snake slithered towards Draco and wrapped its coils gently around him. Harry felt Lord Voldemort's surprise and had to admit that he was pretty surprised himself. Voldemort's sneer returned._

"_My snake doesn't want me to kill you Draco. Consider yourself lucky." Just then, Wormtail and Lucius appeared through the door in front of him. The latter kneeled before him._

"_Ah, Lucius, what a pleasure to see you. I've just come up with the most wonderful plan to test your son's loyalty to me."_

"_What my Lord?" The Dark Lord's gaze fell upon Draco._

"_You will do whatever I wish?"_

_ Draco replied instantly. "Yes my Lord!"_

"_Perfect. Lucius, you have outlived your usefulness in my ranks. Draco, kill him." Both men looked up at their master, startled. _

"_M…my Lord, surely he is still u…?"_

"_KILL HIM DRACO!" Lucius continued to look forward with a look of resignation. Draco stared at him horrified. His wand hand shook and he mumbled something._

"_What was that?" Harry could feel the Dark Lord's anger building._

"_I CAN'T DO IT!" He flung his wand to the floor and embraced his father. Lucius turned to his son, revulsion clearly etched in his features and he shoved him off._

"_Disgusting child! You dare defy our master! I am ashamed to call you my own!" He paused for a second. "AND I WON'T!" Draco stared at his father, stunned. The tears he had been crying stopped their flow and there was a thick silence._

"_Fath…"_

"_FILTH! Do not call me by that!" Another silence…broken by a quiet chuckle that quickly rose into a roar of laughter. Lord Voldemort was laughing! _

"_Wormtail, retrieve Narcissa. I believe a family reunion is in order," he said through his mirth. Harry felt his stomach clench just as his scar burned. How could he find families being torn apart funny? Wormtail was gone for barely a second before he came back in with Narcissa. Her face took on a panicked expression as her eyes flickered between her son and the Dark Lord. _

"_Now that all the Malfoys are here, we can begin. Draco, this is what happens when you defy the Dark Lord!" He lifted his wand to point it at the blonde woman. _

"_Avada Kedavra!" She crumpled to the stone floor silently and laid still. Draco gagged and fell back. Voldemort's wand turned to the resolute Lucius and he repeated the unforgivable curse. Draco dropped to his knees and stared at the bodies of his parents. His face was ghostly pale and his eyes were dim._

"_Severus, come forward." A shadow detached itself from the walls and walked forward to kneel in front of his master. A hideous white mask, same as the one on Draco's side, covered his face. Harry knew it was his hated ex-professor. The man who killed Dumbledore. He let out a roar and attempted to attack the man, even though he knew he couldn't. '_He killed Dumbledore the…'_ he let out another roar. Then the feeling of confusion washed over him. Voldemort felt his anger! He cursed and quashed his emotions. How could he have lost control! _

_ Voldemort turned back to the man in front of him, pushing aside the odd emotion. "Severus, take Draco down to the dungeons and let Bella have some…_fun_…with him. Make sure she keeps him alive. On the fourth day release him in Diagon Alley. I'm sure the ministry would be thrilled to see him." Another satanic grin spread across his features and he began to laugh maniacally. Harry scar seared with pain._

Harry Potter, the boy-who-lived, woke up screaming, back in his room at Number 4 Privet Drive.


	2. Hitched and Ditched

Summary: Harry starts his search for the Horcruxes after the disastrous events of his sixth year but when the truth comes to light, will Harry be able to cope? New friends, new enemies and strange new powers…

Disclaimers: I do not own Harry Potter, nor anything to do with J.K's world of imagination. The only profit I make from these stories is the ability to enjoy playing with what is not mine. ; I could never be the genius that Rowling is.

A.N.: Thank you, all of those you reviewed. 0.o I absolutely love reviews and I'm sure they'd help me update faster. Especially, considering I don't really have a plan for this story. Just bits and pieces. . . So R&R!!!! Also, sorry about the wedding scene. I'm not really good at writing those.

"speech" :_'thoughts' _:_ dreams and writing_ : _"mind speech"_ ::parseltounge::

**---**

**Chapter 2: Hitched and Ditched**

Harry arrived at the Burrow flanked by Tonks and Remus Lupin (Members of the Order of Phoenix). They had picked him up an hour after he'd woken from his vision and they had taken the Knight Bus to London. Harry was disappointed to see that Stan Shunpike had been replaced by a squat, blonde, freckly girl. He was shocked to recall that she had graduated from Hogwarts last year. If he remembered correctly, her name was Hilary Tayten…a Hufflepuff.

"'Lo Harry! Where ya headin' to?

"The Leaky Cauldron, please." Lupin handed her the needed coins. She looked at his shabby robes then suspiciously at the coins. Harry flushed angrily. "Hilary, you remember Professor Lupin, don't you?" She looked at Harry shocked and then at Remus.

"Well, whadya know. Wonderful to see you again sir! How's your _condition_ treatin' ya? Sorry about the doubts but we've had a rise in fakes lately." She said this all very fast and Harry was easily confused by the end. Remus seemed to understand her fine though because he shrugged, smiling and shook her hand.

"Hear that Ernie? The Leaky Cauldron. Right then, take a seat and we'll be off."

From the Leaky Cauldron they flooed to the Burrow.

Immediately arms were thrown around him in a crushing hug and he stumbled back. "Hello Mrs. Weasley. Having a good summer?"

"Of course, dear. And you?" She held his shoulders and looked up at him with concern. He was almost a head taller than the woman and it struck him as highly amusing.

"I'm fine Mrs. Weasley," he replied with a smile. Normally she would admonish him but because of that smile, she truly believed him. He, of course, was not fine. He was just getting better at lying. He was still nauseous from last night's vision…if it was a vision. He stomach twisted uncomfortably at the thought. Harry knew that Voldemort had felt his anger towards Snape and so it was possible that Draco's drop-off could be a trap. Of course, he hoped it wasn't as he still planned to help the blonde boy. What Voldemort did was horrible and Harry pitied him, not that he was going to tell Draco that. _When did I start calling him Draco?_ He shrugged mentally. It would be hard work convincing Malfoy to trust Harry, he knew…but he had to try.

"Harry, mate! Glad to see you so soon!" Ron entered the room, closely followed by Hermione.

"I wouldn't miss this wedding Ron, you know that," he said, giving him a pointed look. Hermione and Ron both smiled at him.

Mrs. Weasley cut in at that point. "Ronnie, why don't you take Harry's trunk upstairs for him?" Ron scowled at her. "Harry, dear, breakfast will be ready in a bit, why don't you go wash up?"

The trio headed upstairs, Ron still scowling, and after Harry washed, they met in Ron's bedroom. Ron had sprawled out over the vibrant orange covers of his bed. His hair had grown longer and now reached a little past his shoulders. It reminded Harry of a lion's mane. It also looked as if he had grown another inch. Hermione, whose hair looked much tamer then it did at the end of last year, was sitting cross-legged on the floor. Both turned to look at him as he entered.

"Guys, there's been a slight change of plans." Harry started.

"What?"

"Well…err…I had a vision…I think." Hermione looked at him wide-eyed and confused.

"What do you mean, Harry?" He began to fill his friends in with the details of his dream. He had included his ideas about Draco's loyalties based on the events that took place on the astronomy tower the night of the attack as he did so. Considering, for all his friends knew, Draco wanted to kill them all.

"…but when I saw Snape I got angry and I think Voldemort felt it. This could be a trap. But if Draco can be turned to our side, he could be a powerful ally."

"HARRY! You're joking right? Malfoy!? It has to be a trap!" Harry scowled at his friend. Hermione looked hesitant.

"I'm not so sure."

"What?! Hermione! It's Malfoy! The guy's a git!"

"Yes Ron, I don't disagree but just because he's a git doesn't mean he's evil." She turned to look at Harry, ignoring Ron's spluttering. "It is possible that it's a trap but I agree that Malfoy might be able to change. You said that Voldemort didn't feel you until you got angry at Professor Snape, which was_ after_ Malfoy said he couldn't kill. It is possible that he might be willing to change sides. Especially if he's being tortured. I don't think it's a trap though, because Voldemort would have never given up the chance to taunt you." Harry shrugged in agreement but Ron was incredulous.

"You guys _have_ to be joking. Right?"

"Ron, stop being childish. We're in a war; we can't afford to fight with possible allies."

"She's right Ron." Ron glared at his friends but remained silent. Harry sighed mentally, _that's the best we're going to get from the stubborn red head_.

"So…about tomorrow, it's risky." Hermione was wringing her hands.

"Yeah but we can't sit around in a school and do nothing. This is the best chance. We just have to hope that people go to bed early."

"That's the thing Harry, I don't think they will. We Weasleys are a rowdy bunch; the family might not get to sleep until everyone else is up!"

"If we have to, we'll leave on a later date then." Hermione looked thoughtful.

"No, no. They might have become suspicious by then. I've a better idea. We'll drug the wine…or punch…whatever drink they have there." The boys looked at her shocked. "I can have a potion brewed by tomorrow easily.

"…It would be safer." Ron looked his best friends, more shocked then before.

"You guys are talking about my family!"

"It wouldn't hurt them Ron…just knock them out for a couple of minutes."

"…Fine!" He crossed his arms and sulked. It did not go by unnoticed that his ears and the base of his neck were a bright, flushed red.

"We'd have to slip it in after the actual wedding though, so that they don't fall asleep during it or something," said Harry.

"Right, I'll get started on it after lunch then."

At that moment a voice called up from downstairs. "Kids, breakfast is ready!"

Over the rest of the day, more and more of the guests arrived. Many of them wore surprised expressions, as if not able to believe Fleur would marry Bill. Harry couldn't really blame them. It was the first time he had seen Bill since the Hospital Wing at the end of last year. His face had been mangled by Fenrir Greyback, an untransformed werewolf. Due to the fact that the bites were from a werewolf, they could not be healed by the normal means. His face had healed _some_ since then but it was still a rather gruesome sight. The wounds had all scabbed over and Harry had a feeling that they would leave scars to rival ex-Auror Mad-Eye Moody's.

Right before dinner there was a Quidditch match. Harry, Fred, Ron, Bill, Tonks and Kingsley were on one team while, Charlie, George, Remus, Ginny, Fleur and Fleur's little sister Gabrielle were on the other. They made up for lack of players by using only one Bludger so that they would only need one beater. While they were doing that, Hermione was upstairs working on the potion. According to her, they could let the potion simmer during dinner where afterwards she could add Boomslang skin, stirring it fourteen times counter-clock wise and then thirteen times the other way, and then leave it to simmer till morning. Then they would add a foot of chopped Valerian roots and it would be complete. It would then be added to every drinking substance they could find at the reception. They were hiding the potion in Ron's closet, where it was least likely to be found.

The next day Harry woke up to a flurry of activity. Charlie was shouting at a still snoring Ron and the twins were standing near Harry's own bed, smiling.

"Welcome to the waking world, ol' boy." Harry yawned and stretched.

"Morning Fred. What time is it?"

"Five in the morning."

"WHAT!" They turned to find a now fully awakened Ron staring at his brother wide-eyed. "What in Merlin's name are we doing up so early?" Charlie hit his brother on the back of his head.

"Mum wants you guys, Hermione, Ginny and Tonks to cook breakfast while she and Fleur's mom help Fleur prepare for this afternoon. The Dads and I are helping Bill." Ron groaned.

"She wants _us_ to cook? Has she lost her mind?" George grinned and ruffled his little brother's hair. Ron scowled.

"Don't worry ickle Ronnie-kins, she's left us a cook book."

"I could cook breakfast. I used to do it all the time at the Dursleys'," said Harry, causing all four Weasleys to frown at him.

"No, Harry," Charlie replied, "you can't cook it all." He smiled then. "You can help Ron though. I don't think he even knows what a pan is. Then again…I don't think the twins do either." Three protests followed this announcement.

They met Mrs. Weasley on their way down the stairs and she thanked them for their help. The girls were already downstairs and cooking. Three hours and two food fights later, breakfast was served. Just as they were sitting down, Professor McGonagall burst through the fire place, stumbling on a carpet corner before straightening herself, a small smile on her face. It was simple to say that it was an odd sight. It was rare to see the strict Transfiguration professor smiling, even more so since the events of last year.

"Minerva, good to see you! Would you care to join us for breakfast?"

"No, no Molly, thank you. I've got work to do." They all looked confused. "I've just come over to give you the good news. Hogwarts is going to stay open!" Cheers rang out over the table. "Yes, it took quite a bit of persuasion on our part but the governors finally agreed to it. There will be many more security procedures to follow now though. I'm afraid that a lot of the children's freedom has been cut back. There aren't to be any more Hogsmead trips, for instance. " Mrs. Weasley was nodding somberly but a small smile was spread across her freckled face. Ginny looked disappointed and the older Weasley children were sad that times had become so serious. None of them noticed though, the glances a certain trio of kids gave each other.

"That's wonderful Minerva. I'm to guess that you've been appointed the new Headmistress?" grinned Mr. Weasley, who seemed to be ignoring the negative feelings in the room. McGonagall nodded though her expression was much sadder then it had been a moment before. Everyone knew what she was thinking. They wished Dumbledore was still there to take the position.

"Well, I must be going. I need to inform the teachers to see who will be coming back. I need to appoint a new Defense professor," everyone in the room glowered, "and any other teachers that won't be coming back. Then of course, I've got to send off book lists and such. I'll try to stop in later for the reception but in case I don't make it," she gave Bill and Fleur apologetic looks, "I'd like to give you both the best of wishes." They nodded their thanks and she disapparated away. Anti-Apparation wards had been placed around the burrow so that people couldn't apparate in but could disapparate out. With Dumbledore dead and the disorganized Order lacking their spy, there were bound to be more deatheater attacks and precautions had to be made.

Now that Harry thought about it. The entire order was bound to be here for guard duty. That included Mad-Eye. He cursed mentally and tried to get Ron and Hermione's attention. They didn't notice. Ron immersed himself in the food before him, piling his plate so high that it was threatening to fall onto the table. Placing a much smaller amount of food on her plate, Hermione admonished him. With a sigh Harry gave up and allowed himself a smile. They could talk later.

Unknowingly to him, later would never come. Mrs. Weasley had them running all over the place, getting this, fixing that. Ron and Hermione had been appointed the official messengers between the Bride and Groom's room with Hermione finishing the potion when she could. The other Weasley siblings were in the rooms, preparing themselves and the others. Harry had volunteered to play chef knowing that Mrs. Weasley would be much to busy to cook everything. He did leave any baking for her though, having never baked a cake before.

As he cooked though, Harry continued to think about Mad-Eye. How would they get him to drink the potion? He drank out of a flask! Then suddenly, as Harry was cracking an egg for the poached eggs, he had an idea. Going over it again and again in his mind, he worked out the kinks and though it was a little far-fetched, Harry thought it just might work. In any case, it was the best he could come up with without conversing with Ron and Hermione. He sighed and continued on with dinner.

Morning passed quickly in the kitchen and in no time, it seemed, Mrs. Weasley, rushed into the kitchen. Harry burst out laughing at the sight! He had never seen such a shocked look on her face before; the vision of dinner, plentiful and finished in all its glory, laid out on the counters, left her completely speechless. The fact that she had on her normal hand-made apron over a fancy peach colored dress robe just fulfilled the look.

"H…Harry…did you do all this?" She asked, stuttering in the process, as Harry's laughter died down.

"Of course, Mrs. Weasley. You did ask me to cook dinner, did you not?"

"Well, I asked you to help certainly, but I didn't expect you to finish it all!"

"Err…well…I didn't do it all. I wasn't quite confident enough in my ability to bake. You don't mind do you?" The Weasley matriarch's face softened at his words and she patted him lightly on the shoulder.

"Of course not, dear. Why don't you go along and wash up? The ceremony will start in a couple of hours. I'm afraid that bathrooms might be a bit busy at the moment but it shouldn't take you too long for a turn."

The wedding was magical and everyone was looking their best. A golden hue seemed to hang in the air from the powerful magic that was released at the completion of Bill and Fleur's bond. But, if you asked Harry what his favorite part of the weeding was, he couldn't tell you. His mind had wandered elsewhere during the entire thing. Except for the part where Ginny had walked in as a bride maid. She looked amazing! After that though, his thoughts were gone. He kept going through the steps that he and his friend would take in only an hour's time. His nerves were pumped with adrenaline and his legs bounced in restrained energy. When the ceremony finally ended with a traditional kiss, he was the first out of his seat. His energy did not go unnoticed.

As people began to gather around the newlyweds, the mischievous trio met near one of the punch bowls. Harry was still pinging with energy but his face was serious. Hermione had tears running down her cheeks, though she was smiling. Ron had his usual confused expression as he tried to give Hermione comfort she didn't need.

"Ron, stop. I'm not sad!"

"But you're crying!"

"They're tears of joy, Ron!" She turned to Harry, who was gazing around them. "The wedding was beautiful, wasn't it Harry?" He turned to her with a blank look.

"Huh? Yeah, sure. Hey, how long did you say they'd stay asleep?" She huffed.

"Five minutes exact. Will that be enough time?"

"Perfect. Are both of you packed?" Ron nodded enthusiastically.

"Yeah, I finished this morning." The glare Hermione sent him was icy.

"I finished yesterday." Harry nodded his agreement, causing Ron to stick his tongue out at his girlfriend. Harry cut them off before they could start yelling.

"Ok Ron. I want you to spike the punchbowls in the kitchen. No one will question you if you're found there. Hermione, since you're the smartest, could you somehow spike the bottles of alcohol?" She nodded, her face slightly worried, though pink with the praise. "Great. I'll get the punch bowls and cups out here." All of a sudden, Hermione's eyes widened in horror.

"Harry, what about Professor Moody?" Harry's grin was small.

"I have a plan for him. Let's just hope it works." The majority of the guests had broken off from congratulations and some headed towards them so they separated to complete their tasks. Two sets of eyes followed them.

Harry really had the easiest job out of the three. He just dumped in a vial and filled cups to hand out. That way, he didn't look suspicious. As everyone headed onto the dance floor, Harry executed his plan.

Looking around his in an apprehensive way, he made sure that Mad-Eye Moody was watching him. Then, with exaggerated movements, he pulled a flask of the potion from his pocket. The ex-Auror began to make his way over and Harry pretended to take a long drink from it. Just as he was about to pour some of it into the punch bowl, Moody gripped his shoulder and twisted him around.

"What's that you got there, Potter?" Harry grimaced and acted scared. Swallowing tightly he replied.

"Just a drink I made earlier today. Nothing bad, I swear!" Moody didn't look convinced and he held out his hand. Harry had to try his hardest not to smirk as he handed it over hesitantly. "It's actually really good," nodded Harry as the scar-faced sniffed at the flask guardedly. "I just thought it would give the punch more kick."

Mad-Eye's brow arched and he gave Harry a question look. "Do you mind if I try it?" Harry looked at him with mock surprise.

"S…sure. I guess if you want to." With that Mad-Eye took a swig of the potion and Harry crowed in success mentally. He had done it! He had tricked the most paranoid Auror of all time!

"Well, I don't know what has you so worked up about it. Tastes bland to me." Harry's brain snapped back to reality and he shrugged as if to say 'whatever.' "Just don't let me catch you putting any more in. The punch is fine how it is." Mad-Eye Moody limped off some time after that and Harry continued with his task.

Not too soon after he met back up with Ron and Hermione. Their tasks were completed as well. All that was left for them to do was wait and wait they did. It didn't take long for the guests to fall asleep where they stood. Most were asleep before anyone could become alarmed. Moody and Remus were the last to fall, taking nearly three minutes longer than the rest of the guests. The trio of teenagers had pretended to fall asleep long ago to avoid suspicion and all the while Harry was getting more and more nervous. Hermione had said five minutes and that was almost up. Finally, about four minutes after the first person had fallen, Remus finally dozed off. As quickly and quietly as possible, they made their way to the fireplace, where they hid their baggage. Harry tossed in some powder and stepped in as the flames turned green. "Grimmauld Place!" Ron and Hermione followed soon after.

As the flames slowly faded back to red, two people exchanged curious glances.


	3. Enter: The Missing

Summary: Harry starts his search for the Horcruxes after the disastrous events of his sixth year but when the truth comes to light, will Harry be able to cope? New friends, new enemies and strange new powers…

Disclaimers: I do not own Harry Potter, nor anything to do with J.K's world of imagination. The only profit I make from these stories is the ability to enjoy playing with what is not mine. ; I could never be the genius that Rowling is.

"speech" :_'thoughts' _:_ dreams and writing_ : _"mind speech"_ ::parseltounge::

A.N.: Thank you so much for all of your reviews!

**---**

**Chapter 3: Enter: The Missing**

Jinx Rue Lestrange's eyes opened wide as she viewed the ceiling above her. She was alive and she couldn't have been more surprised. Not only that but she remembered almost everything that happened to her, despite the fact she'd been hit by her Lucius's memory charm.

_ -Flashback-_

_ Jinx Rue backed away from the doors, not believing what she'd heard. Her breath was coming out in short quick gasps. She needed to run, to clear her mind. She shook her head and turned, only to slam right into the chest of one Lucius Malfoy. His eyes narrowed and grasped her shoulder tightly and she cursed mentally. Jinx struggled against the grip although she knew it was futile and only succeeded in getting a foot or so away from the door. He dragged her back to the doors and she whimpered at what was coming. She _did not_ want those in the room to know she had been eavesdropping. _

_ Jinx kicked backward with a bare foot, feeling it connect with Lucius's leg. The smirk that had been on his face was replaced with a snarl but he did not release her. He waved his wand at the doors, opening them and alerting the occupants of the room to their presence._

_ Lucius shoved her forward, causing Jinx to fall to the floor. Her knees made a loud clunk sound and she bit her lip to stop from crying out. She heard Lucius kneel behind her. "M'lord." _

"_What is this Lucius?" The voice was cold as a snake's blood and its owner was obviously angry. Jinx shivered and kept her eyes down. _

"_I apologize my lord. She was eavesdropping outside." A low growl was heard for only a short moment before her mother's shriek filled the room. _

_ "Beastly Child! You dare to spy on the Dark Lord?! You disgust me!" Jinx blanched but met her mother's glare with her own. She'd been hearing this for all sixteen years of her life, after all. As minutes passed, Jinx's glare faded to a look of absolute boredom. Her mother had a tendency to go on an on unless someone stopped her. Truly, it amazed her that someone could say how much they hated someone in so many different ways. Briefly, Jinx wondered if her mother had digested a thesaurus in her youth._

"_Enough Bella." The cruel voice of the Dark Lord broke through Jinx's thoughts._

"_Yes, my lord," replied Bellatrix Lestrange with a bow. Mentally Jinx scoffed at her. She was taught that, as a pureblood, you bowed to no one. Yet, here was the matron of one of the most powerful wizarding families alive, bowing to a half-blood! Yes, Jinx knew the Dark Lord's secret. This hadn't been the first time she had eavesdropped on a meeting between her parents and the Dark Lord. _

_ The Last time had been a couple of months ago, after the ministry fiasco. She had used one of the house elf passages to get into their room. Normally, Jinx wasn't stupid but she really wanted to hear what happened. After all, her father hadn't come back. Her mother seemed to be the only survivor. The Dark Lord had pulled out a pensieve and they had viewed Bellatrix's memory. While Bella may not have seen everything, she certainly heard it. Luckily for the light, the prophecy's voice was overpowered by the fighting._

_ Unwillingly, Jinx's eyes strayed to the Dark Lord's face and she gasped. Although he had kept up residence in her family's manor for a while, this was the first time she had actually seen him. His face was inhuman, flat and nearly nose-less. His skin had a sheen to it that reminded her strongly of scales and it was a sickly color, like that of a corpse. Jinx found herself more disgusted by the man…thing then she was afraid of him. She was afraid of what he would do to her, of course. She knew how ruthless this monster of darkness could be and she wasn't stupid not to fear him. Just looking at him wanted to make her laugh though. For someone who spouted off nonsense about blood purity, his appearance made her think his mother had some mix-up between her husband and a serpent. _

_ As if knowing what she was thinking, the Dark Lord's eyes flashed angrily. Turning to his mother he snarled. "Wipe her memory and kill her." It was so sudden, calm, and Jinx wasn't suspecting it all. It registered quickly in her mind, exactly what position she wasn't good. All humorous thoughts were gone now as she looked at her mother with wide eyes. _She wouldn't…

_ Bellatrix Lestrange wasted no time. A smirk spread quickly over her face and both she and Lucius raised their wands. Jinx bolted. Somehow she made it out of the room, and she heard the Dark Lord shouting over a loud pounding. They were following her. She heard Lucius scream something and she closed her eyes, knowing this would be her last breath. A force slammed into her arm and she screamed mentally. The last thing she knew was the bright multi-colored light that filled her eyelids. _

_ -End Flashback-_

"Glad to see you're finally awake."

Jinx's eyes flew towards the voice and she nearly leaped out of the bed in fright. _Bloody Hell! I didn't even hear the door open._ The man that stood in the doorway had light blonde hair that was speckled with grays, although he didn't look that old. His steel gray eyes were sparkling with some thing akin to mirth, with a wide smile to match. For some reason, this man's happiness made her angry and she glared at him. This only made him smile wider.

"Stop smiling you bloody dolt!" He just chuckled and stepped further into the room. It was then Jinx noticed what he was carrying. It was a tray heaping with bacon, eggs and kippers.

"Now, now. Is that anyway to treat the man who brought you breakfast?" He set it down on a nightstand and looked at her, one bushy brow raised. He was still smiling.

"I'm not hungry." She looked away and tried to block the scent from her nose. Her stomach betrayed her with a loud growl and she glared at it before slowly turning to look at her…savior? Captor?

All of a sudden Jinx felt very foolish. This man had been nothing but polite to her, even ringing her breakfast and she was getting angry at him. Why? His chuckle brought her out of her thoughts. Sometime in her confusion the man had set a chair next to her bed and placed the tray in her lap.

"Go ahead, eat. You were severely drained of magical energy when I found you and this will help you get your strength back." Jinx observed the food cautiously and once more he chuckled. He seemed to do that a lot. "Go on. It's not poisoned, I swear." Finally, figuring she had nothing to loose by not eating the food, she began to eat as fast as she could while still keeping her dignity.

After Jinx's hunger began to satiate, the man's smile began to fade. While he didn't know any details, he knew this girl in front of him was in trouble. Teenagers didn't appear in his glade unconscious, barefoot and wearing pajamas everyday, after all. In fact, the last time he had any sort of visitor was nearly twenty years ago. When he glanced back at her, he noticed that she had stopped eating and her eyes had lost their liveliness. Whatever she was thinking about depressed her.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He startled her again, judging by her flinch.

"No." He sighed lightly and nodded. She was starting hard at the empty plate in front of her and he knew not to push.

"Very well. Though they may not fit, you're welcome to wear any of the clothes in the room. I'll be in the living room if you need me. You are free to explore the house if you'd like." She gave no response but he didn't expect her to. He just took the tray off her lap and left. At the door he paused and looked back. She was still staring. He sighed again and closed the door behind him.

Jinx's eyes raised as the door closed and a smirk spread slowly across her face. Sure, she was saddened by the fact her mother would so willingly kill her but she wasn't surprised and she certainly wasn't going to mope over it. Now that she was sure that whatever-his-name-was wasn't coming back, she took time to observe the room she was in.

It was rather small compared to her room at the Lestrange manor. The colors were bland and other than the bed, a nightstand and a small wardrobe, the room held no other decorations. Throwing off the beige comforter and swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she got up and walked to the dresser. A quick search and a blushing face later, she found that it contained only socks, undershirts and male underwear. Moving to the wardrobe she found a much more acceptable choice of clothing. Dark robes hung from hangers, telling her that this man was indeed a wizard. Robes also littered the bottom of the closet. All looked too big for her but they were better than the rather revealing pajamas she had on. She took a navy blue one out and slipped it over her head. Looking around she found a leather belt and tied it around her waist. '_I've seen worse_,' she thought.

Feeling a little more comfortable, she inched open the door and peered outside. The only thing she could see was a door that looked remarkably similar to her own. Sticking her head farther out, she found that her room was placed at the end of a bare hallway. The only thing to her left there was a small window. Looking out she saw that the house was next to woods, if not surrounded by them. The trees of which were taller than anything she had ever seen, which was saying something, considering the Lestrange Manor was hidden deep within the Black Forest of Germany. The little bit of sky she could see told her it was some time in the early evening.

A soft sound from behind her caught her attention and pulled her away from the window. It was music. As silently as she could, Jinx made her way down the hall, checking doors as she went. The door right of hers was a bathroom; small and simple. The room next to it was a bedroom; identical to the one Jinx woke up in. Across from that was a locked door which piqued her curiosity, but she didn't linger too long at it. As she walked past this room, she found another, shorter, hallway. Only one door lay in this hallway and by the view given by its fogged windows, it led outside. A sudden temptation to leave this house and run surged through her body. Her heart pounding, she took a step forward…and stopped.

Breathing slowly, she calmed herself. She was in an unknown place with an unknown amount of people and creatures. Plus, her host had been nothing but polite to her. With no immediate threat, running could end up being the more hazardous choice. Childish urges finished, Jinx stepped back and continued to the end of the first hall.

To her right, a set of sliding doors were open, revealing a kitchen as equally small and bar as the rest of the house seemed to be. To her left, another set of doors stood open. It was here that the music was coming from. It was some type of classical tune that Jinx had never heard before. The wordless song seemed to contain only a piano, a violin and a flute. It was very beautiful and Jinx smiled unconsciously. As she listened, a deep hum joined the music.

Peeking around the corner she found that the baritone hum belonged to the man from earlier. _'Of course it is. Who else would it be?' _He was sitting in a comfy-looking chair at the far end of the room. A book was propped open on his leg and he was holding a glass of brandy in his hand. He turned a page. Then, without looking up, he grinned. "No need to lurk in doorways, child. Come in." It made him oddly glad to see her out of the room.

Jinx jumped back, startled. Quickly, she stepped into the room and tried to make herself look innocent. '_First I'm caught by Lucius, and now this guy. My skills must be waning.'_

"Well, don't just sit there. Have a seat." Shaking herself from her thoughts, she glared at him, but sat down in a loveseat opposite him. And that's how they sat for awhile; Jinx growing more and more impatient as each moment ticked by. Then, right as she was about to speak up, he closed his book and smiled up at her.

"So, what can I help you with child?" She growled mentally at being called a child again. She was seventeen after all, hardly a child. She kept herself silent and instead asked what else was on her mind.

"Who are you? Where are we? How did I get here? Wh…"

"Whoa now, one question at a time! First of all, let me apologize for not introducing myself earlier. I am Caradoc Dearborn." He paused as if he had just made some great announcement. Jinx just raised her brow at him. His name only vaguely sounded familiar. 'I wonder where I've heard it.' His expression, which had looked disappointed at her lack of response, now showed eager expectation. After a moment, she realized that he was waiting for her to introduce herself. A smirk made its way across her face.

"Jinx Rue Lestrange." He reacted just as she predicted. After all, everyone knew of her parents. They were the most feared dark wizards after the Dark Lord. She chuckled mentally as she watched him nearly drop his brandy and his eyes widened so much that his bushy brows were hidden beneath his bangs.

"I don't suppose you'd be related to Rodolphus and Bellatrix Lestrange?" She smirked again.

"My parents." All of a sudden Caradoc's eyes turned cold and Jinx leaned back unconsciously. All traces of his earlier friendly demeanor were gone, replaced with a battle wary killer. That's when it hit her, where she had heard his name before. He had been an Auror during the first war. This was the man who killed her father's death eater parents. According to her parents, he had also been a member of Dumbledore's Order of the Phoenix. It had been a huge scandal when he disappeared. Suddenly she was afraid. It was like she was facing the Dark Lord once more. This man could kill her with no remorse, she was sure of it and he certainly didn't have a reason not to, with what her parents had done. When he spoke, it chilled her to the bone.

"Tell me child, whom do you serve?" Struck speechless by his sudden coldness, she didn't respond, just watched with wide eyes. His glare only turned icier. "TELL ME! WHO IS YOUR MASTER?!" His yell broke her from her trance and she was immediately insulted by what he had insinuated. A low snarl escaped her and she stood slowly, leaning of the coffee table that separated them. Her voice had taken an equally cold edge and considering how small she was, she managed to look intimidating quite well.

"My only master is myself. Voldemort and my parents can go to Hell." A small smile spread slowly over Caradoc's face, surprising Jinx into sitting down.

"That's good. I would've hated to have to kill you." His eyes board into hers as he said that and she kept his gaze unwillingly. The next moment the look was gone, replaced with his earlier mischievousness. This man's duplicity was seriously irritating her. "So, what would you like for dinner?"


End file.
